United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/S2-84/181 May 1984
&ER& Project Summary
Performance Evaluation of
Full-Scale Hazardous Waste
Incinerators
A. Trenholm, P. Gorman, and G. Jungclaus
This report describes a study to
evaluate current baseline performance
of hazardous waste incinerators. Tests
were conducted at eight full scale
facilities to characterize all feed and
effluent streams. Pollutants measured
included EPA Appendix VIII hazardous
compounds, particulates, hydrogen
chloride, carbon monoxide, and totaj
hydrocarbons. The data were analyzed
to address questions on Destruction
and Removal Efficiency (DRE),
products of incomplete combustion
(PIC), pollutant emission levels,
performance of air pollution control
systems, and relationships of process
parameters to destruction efficiency
and emission levels. A large base of data
on performance of hazardous waste
incinerators was accumulated, and
many possible relationships between
parameters were explored. Conclusions
included: DREs were generally above
99.99%; measured DREs tended to be
higher when concentration of the
hazardous compound in the waste was
higher; the most frequently observed
PICs were benzene, toluene,
chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and
napthalene; the particulate EPA
regulation of 180 mg/Nm3 was not
routinely met; and the hydrogen
chloride EPA regulation almost always
met.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory, Cincinnati. OH,
to announce key findings of the retearch
project that is fully documented tn a
separate report of the same tftfe (ate
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
The EPA's Office of Solid Waste is
conducting a Regulatory Impact Analysis
(RIA) as part of EPA's hazardous waste
incinerator regulatory development
activities. The RIA includes definition of
the baseline performance of incinerators
operating under normal conditions. The
goal of this study was to establish current
baseline levels of performance through
measurements of pollutant emissions
(including over 40 Appendix VIII
compounds) at eight hazardous waste
incinerators and to analyze the data
generated from these measurements to
identify performance trends.
The primary measures of performance
during this program were DRE for
principal organic hazardous constituents
(POHCs) and removal of HCI and
particulates from the stack gases.
Specific topics that were addressed were:
(a) baseline DREs that could be achieved
by incinerators under "normal"operating
conditions; (b) emissions of PICs; (c) the
impacts of incinerator operating condi-
tions such as temperature, residence
time, heat input, and excess air on DREs;
(d) the impact of waste feed characteris-
tics on DREs; (e) HCI and particulate
emissions from incinerators with varied
operating conditions and control systems;
and (f) the effect of air pollution control
systems on the emission of POHCs, HCI,
and particulates.
The study encompassed a wide array of
activities centered around testing at the
eight incinerator facilities. These
activities included evaluation and, in
some cases, modification of samplirtg and
analysis methods; multimedia sampling
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and analysis, and extensive data
evaluation to assess the performance of
hazardous waste incinerators. Standard
EPA methods were used when available.
The sampling and analysis activities
characterized each input and output
stream to the greatest degree possible.
Typical input streams included: waste
feed, auxiliary fuel, and control system
makeup and recycle waters. Output
streams generally included: stack gases,
control device effluent (solid or liquid),
and incinerator bottom ash. Each stream
sampled was generally analyzed for
organic constituents, chlorides,
particulate or ash, and in some cases,
metals.
Summary of Results
Analysis of the large amount of data
collected led to many conclusions. Those
related to ORE included: DREs for the
incinerators tested were generally above
99.99%; ORE appears to be strongly
correlated to the concentration of the
POHC in the waste feed; no clear correla-
tion between ORE and heat of
combustion for POHCs was identified; the
data from the eight tests suggest that
POHC levels in scrubber water and ash
were generally very low or nondetecta-
ble; and some Appendix VIII compounds
detected in the stack (primarily trihalo-
. methanes) appear to be stripped from the
scrubber water by the hot stack gas.
Observations related to PICs included:
stack gas concentrations of PICs were
typically as high as or higher than those
for POHC compounds in the stack and PIC
output rate infrequently exceeded 0.01 %
of POHC input rate. Three likely
mechanisms that explained the presence
of most PICs are: poor DREs for
compounds present at low concentration
in the waste feed; input of compounds to
the system from sources other, than
waste feed and actual products of
combustion reaction. Benzene, toluene,
chloroform, tetrachloroethylene, and
naphthalene had a high potential for
appearing as PICs.
Other results were that compliance
with the particulate standard of 180
mg/Nm3 was achieved at only half of the
sites tested and HCI emissions were
generally easily controlled to meet one of
the two criteria specified in the regula-
tions—less than 1.8 kg HCI/hr or greater
than 99% removal efficiency. Carbon
monoxide and total hydrocarbons
provided indication of changes of
incinerator performance and gross
malfunctions in the combustion process
but did not appear to be good predictors of
POHC emissions or ORE for DREs in the
vicinity of 99.99%.
The full report describes the data
analysis that led to the above conclusions
and contains other discussions and con-
clusions related to the sampling and
analysis methods and data reduction. The
sampling and analysis methods and
quality assurance are fully documented
in the appendices.
A. Trenholm, P. Gorman, and G. Jungclaus are with Midwest Research Institute.
Kansas City, MO 64110.
Donald A. Oberacker is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report consists of five volumes, entitled "Performance Evaluation of
Full-Scale Hazardous Waste Incinerators:" (Set Order No. PB85-129492; Cost:
$72.00, subject to change)
"Volume I. Executive Summary," (Order No. PB 85-129 500; Cost: $8.50)
"Volume!!. Incinerator Performance Results," (Order No. PB85-12951'8; Cost:
$14.50)
"Volume III. Appendices A and B," (Order No. PB 85-129 526; Cost: $ 16.00)
"Volume IV. Appendices C through J, "(Order No. PB85-129 534; Cost: $28.00)
"Volume V. Appendices K and L." (Order No. PB 85-129 542; Cost: $ 17.50)
The above reports will be available only from: (cost subject to change)
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
ft U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1985-559416/27057
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